NHRC hears 56 human rights violation cases in NE states, orders to pay Rs 3.55cr relief

Guwahati: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) during its two day ‘camp sitting’ in Guwahati has heard at least 56 cases of human rights violations in northeastern states and also instructed to pay Rs 3.55 crore relief to the victims.

The NHRC ‘camp sitting’ chaired by its Chairperson Justice Arun Mishra held separate meetings with chief secretaries and Directors General of Police and State Human Rights Commissions’ (SHRCs) to protect and promote human rights and human dignity in the region.

The two-day (Thursday and Friday) camp sitting was organised to hear the pending cases of human rights violations in eight northeastern states and to spread awareness amongst the officials of state governments, its parastatal organisations and NGOs.

The 56 cases heard by the NHRC include, alleged arbitrary and unlawful division/partition of the lands of the Chakmas in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district, alleged failure on the part of Arunachal Pradesh government to pay compensation to 108 Chakma and Hajong tribal families in the same district who have been affected by construction of high voltage power transmission line.

The rights panel also heard alleged rape of a 16-year old tribal girl by a non-tribal person in Assam’s Kokrajhar town, death of 57 person and injuries to 18 and missing of four persons due to negligence of the North East Frontier Railways while constructing of tunnels and laying railway tracks to connect Jiribam with Imphal, poor condition of district hospital in Manipur’s Chaurachandpur due to non-availability of basic facilities, complaints regarding incidences of violence in Manipur.

The commission during its meeting with the chief secretaries, Directors General of Police and senior officials of the northeastern states asked the officers to submit action-taken reports on various advisories issued by the commission on a variety of issues including mental health, police encounter, bonded labour, right to food and safety, child sexual abuse material, truck drivers, ocular trauma, prevention of suicide in judicial and police custody, manual scavenging and others.

NHRC members, Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay and Rajiv Jain, Secretary General, Bharat Lal, Registrar (Law), Surajit Dey, and senior officers also attended the camp sitting.